Archive for month: July, 2012

Today this article was posted in the newspaper:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/7383001/Auckland-pub-to-host-church-services

Pastors Calvin Culverwell and Vic Francis are turning Albany Sports Bar into a make-shift church starting this Sunday.

Members of the Protestant Albany Shore Vineyard Churches have been working on the project for a year.

They aim to help people reconnect with religion in a relaxed place.

You can even have a beer during the service – providing you pay for it – and pizza and fries will be provided.

”We like to sit down, we like to eat together, we like to have great conversations. That’s a human thing but it’s a Kiwi thing as well,” Culverwell said.

”When I look through the Bible I see Jesus is someone who valued those things as well.

”So to me it seems it almost goes hand-in-hand.”

It should be noted for clarity that I have been a bouncer in these bars, and have had first hand witness to what goes on there.

1. They are NOT turning a bar into a Church. They are going there whilst people are going about their normal business of getting drunk, and then going out/home (on any evening 80% of ALL crime will be alcohol fuelled in NZ).

2,  They are going there and drinking alcohol and eating pizza (pretty much what everyone else is doing).

3. The north shore of auckland is reknown for binge drinking and alcohol issues with teenagers.

4. Church is a gathering of believers to worship God, to strengthen one anothers faith, and to learn and grow in the ways of God’s kingdom. This is NOT Church.

5. They are condoning, visibily and actively one of the worst problems in New Zealand society.

I can not understand why any reasonably minded, community oriented rational person would condone drinking in today’s society. I have even LESS comprehension about why a Christian would condone drinking. I can understand going to a pub, having a pizza and an orange juice and cracking a chat about life, the universe, and everything. But to be seen actually drinking? Irresponsible to the highest degree. To be seen drinking “at church” – my goodness.. its an abomination.